The NHS is to clamp down on private recruitment agencies that poach foreign doctors and nurses from developing countries to fill vacancies.

The new code of practice for international recruitment reinforces existing guidelines for the NHS on the ethical and effective recruitment of staff from abroad. Developing countries should not be targeted for recruitment, the code says - staff should never be hired against the interests of another country.

The new code ‘sends out a clear signal that the NHS will not work with commercial recruitment agencies who do not work to high standards of ethics in keeping with the code,’ said health minister John Hutton.

Under the guidelines, the NHS will not work with agencies that charge registration fees, fail to provide occupational health assessments and do not offer access to education and training.

But within the guidelines, international recruitment is ‘sound and legitimate’, the code stated. ‘International recruitment is beneficial to the NHS,’ said Hutton. ‘It provides an excellent learning opportunity for overseas health professionals which will in turn, enhance treatment and care in their countries of origin.’

More than 8,000 non-EU nurses and midwives joined the British nursing register in the year 2000/2001, compared with 5,945 the year before.